About Sooted Star

And now, I introduce a story I've been working on for close to 20 years.

 

"Kind of insane, if you ask me..."

 

Originally inspired by Clive Barker's Abarat, it started off as an "isekai;" a story trope in which a person is whisked away into another world, either by transportation or reincarnation. This was about Kiri, a relatively normal girl who was accidentally transported to the world of "Sooted Star." She met a dragon called Zxero (who's been a character popping up throughout all of my writings since my childhood), and the two were meant to adventure. I also had some offshoots that took place in the world of Sooted Star, but I didn't have much of a story for any of my ideas.

 

And so, I've decided to change that. Here's the synopsis as it's written, now:

A story about love and identity. What becomes of them when we lose ourselves to forces larger than us—even when our power lets us shatter worlds, yet we’re still not enough?

A conglomerate of planets called the Sooted Star Planet Network is stained with a history of stark inequality and bloodshed between a humanity split in half. When technology finally leveled the playing field between the half of humanity with superpowers and the half without, the two great sectors, Rokon and Risenen, could finally maintain a tepid peace. But when well-meaning labs began developing technology that could open gateways into the Wavelength Realm, promising a truly equalizing force for all of humanity, the hunger for power stirred once again. Now, factions in Rokon, Risenen, and even neutral zones strive to be first to harness the Wavelength Realm. Will it be a salvation or an unfathomable entity we die for, barely scratching the surface of its mystery?

As for the first book: 

Lonely small-town girl Kiri wakes up in a new world after a college party dare has her camping out in the grassy plains. Apparently, a new portal had accidentally opened between her world and a realm called Sooted Star. Or was it really an accident?

Eberkerson, an inventor of breakthrough wavelength technology, may find the trail he needs to lead him to the true reason behind his high school lover’s death. That trail starts with the portal that Kiri came through. However, his genius comes at a price—one that has powerful political entities striving for his invention, which could finally let humanity harness the power of the Wavelength Realm.

Eberkerson’s closest friends, Sage and Zeijien, generously help Kiri adapt to her new life until she can return home. However, Rokon’s impending military draft threatens their everyday stability. Sage and Zeijien are among the few remaining voices staunchly opposed to Rokon’s threat of war against Risenen. But what will they do when Zeijien’s former Risenen immigrant pupil gets involved in shady terrorist organizations? When Sage’s own sibling is starting to become the one thing Rokonians fear?

What will they choose, and who will they become once inevitable forces drive them into a changing world?

And now you know. 

"Well, what of the contents of this mysterious story you've been dabbling in for two decades?" you may ask. "Surely, you have something to show for it if you're choosing to announce it so publicly."

And to that, I say, "Take a look here!" as I point to a sleek little site I made just for my novel. "It has my WIP novel, art, and a world-building concepts." 

Ten Years Passed, And Then...

Nothing. Or at least, seemingly.

Within a span of ten years, the mind can crush everything into nothing. Thoughts and memories can become unequal particles, some more resilient than the rest, as a year turns into a month turns into a week turns into a single day. The stronger particles are the pillars- the reminders amounting to some semblance of meaning within one's life- like what we did mattered. We can point to it and say, "Hey! That sure was a pivotal moment that I will remember years to come."

Is there a point to it all? I wouldn't know. I may dread the mind's tendency to crush a year into nothing but fine stardust, but in the end, all that matters is the future I can build. And that is the pillar of accepting the inevitable tide of time.

Ten years I've had to wander, and I return yet again to this little old blog that has stuck with me since my childhood. There's truly a terrifying power about nostalgia. By no means was this a popular blog, but it meant a lot to me. And so, if for no other reason than to continue cultivating that meaning, whatever it may be, I return and bid you all a warm welcome once again.

What will I post? Will it be a more "authentic" version of myself than I've, arguably, posted on other social media sites I've acquired? Is it even "myself" in the first place? Who knows. All I know is that writing continues to be a pursuit I don't put down. All I know is that the journey from then until now entices me. I'm sure it will entice me in the decades to come, should I see them. Maybe I just want to look back and see that journey all neatly archived- packaged and tied in a nice little bow in a niche that doesn't take up physical space.

All that said, I'm back again. May all the best come to you, fellow wanderers.

 

"The Decision," scene from Sooted Star, Digital, Jaecadin